REVIEW 



PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION 



The NMFS calculation of per capita 

 consumption is based on a "disappearance" 

 model. The total U.S. supply of imports and 

 landings is converted to edible weight and 

 decreases in supply such as exports and 

 inventories are subtracted out. The remaining total 

 is divided by a population value to estimate per 

 capita consumption. Data for the model are 

 derived primarily from secondary sources and are 

 subject to incomplete reporting; changes in 

 source data or invalid model assumptions may 

 each have a significant effect on the resulting 

 calculation. 



U.S. per capita consumption of fish and 

 shellfish was 14.8 pounds (edible meat) in 1996. 

 This total was 0.2 pounds less than the 1 5.0 pounds 

 consumed in 1995. Per capita consumption of 

 fresh and frozen products was 10.0 pounds, a the 

 same as in 1995: Fresh and frozen finfish 



accounted for 6.4 pounds while fresh and frozen 

 shellfish consumption was 3.6 pounds per capita. 

 The fresh and frozen finfish includes approximately 

 0.9 pounds of farm raised catfish. Consumption of 

 canned fishery products was 4.5 pounds per 

 capita in 1996, a decrease of 0.2 pounds from 

 1995. Cured fish accounted for 0.3 pounds per 

 capita, the same as in previous years. Imports of 

 edible seafood made up 57 percent of the 

 consumption. 



Per Capita Use . Per capita use is based on the 

 supply of fishery products, both edible and non- 

 edible (industrial), on a round-weight equivalent 

 basis without considering beginning or ending 

 stocks, defense purchases, or exports. The per 

 capita use of all edible and industrial fishery 

 products in 1996 was 62.1 pounds, down 0.6 

 pounds compared with 1995. 





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